Arden Fair Presents UnchARTed
Arden Fair is an anchor mall in the heart of Sacramento. They wanted to widen who walks through the doors — and challenge the idea that a shopping center is only good for shopping.
THE CHALLENGE
A mall is built to sell, not to gather. Turning one into a place people seek out for art — and keeping it relevant to a city as diverse as Sacramento — meant winning over two crowds at once: the shoppers already there, and a creative community that rarely sees itself reflected in retail space.
“We set out to enable artists. We ended up with a community — one that's outgrown the mall it started in.”
THE APPROACH
We started by auditing the center's existing programming, then built a strategy around a few non-negotiables: art that's accessible, all-ages, and family-friendly. When we commissioned work, we gave preference to local artists so every activation carried a Sacramento voice. And we built it to last — a multi-year campaign that could respond to the community as it changed, rather than a one-off event.
THE OUTCOME
What began as a handful of activations turned into a standing community. We've curated dozens of activations and commissioned even more artists — alongside the videographers, producers, and influencers who call Sacramento home — and the program keeps growing, inside the mall and well beyond it.
NEXT PROJECT
Events with Impact for CORE
City of Sacramento — CORE — Events